Nikolas Lanitis was a founding member of the athletic club ‘Olympia’, which he also supported financially, and volunteer in the early 20th century Greek wars. The initiative for the bust was taken by the Limassol gymnastic union “Olympia”. It was made in 1965 by the Greek sculptor Vasos Falireas and the unveiling took place on April 26th 1965.

Location: Museum Avenue, next to the Nicosia Municipal Theatre, Nicosia. Nicosia district

Material: Copper

Category: Public Figures

Photography: Evangelia Matthopoulou

Kostis Palamas (1859-1943) is ranked among the most prominent Greek poets of the late 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. EPOK’s initiative was in array with its ideology and activities that encourage the promotion and cementing of Greek, ancient and contemporary, culture in Cyprus.

Τhe initiative for the monument was taken in 1972 by the Hellenic Intellectual Association of Cyprus (EΠOK/EPOK). The unveiling took place on February 27th 1974. The work was commissioned to the Greek sculptor Vasos Falireas by Makarios III. Falireas made an identical monument in marble for the Athens Municipality Cultural Center and the unveiling took place on March 7th 1975.

Solomos (1798-1857) is regarded as the national Greek poet. His poems are constantly referring to the aspired freedom of the enslaved Greek nation and to the Greek War of Independence (1821). One of his poems, the “Hymn to Liberty” written in 1823 became the Greek national anthem in 1865. Solomos is considered as the Cypriot national poet, too, as, officially since 1966 Cyprus shares the same national anthem with Greece.

The bust was commissioned in 1972 by the Pafos’ Naturalist Group. The unveiling took place on June 2nd 1974.